Introduction

With the PLA-N now in the process of
rebuilding the carrier Varyag to
provide a training and limited operational capability, the Su-33 and
Su-33UB Flanker D variants have been identified as the type intended to
arm this vessel.

This analysis is an updated and expanded version of the original 2004
analysis.

Sukhoi
Su-27K/Su-33 Flanker D and Su-27KUB / Su-33UB

The navalised Su-27K for Korablny' was developed for
the
Project
1143.5 55,000 tonne class aircraft carrier, of which four were to have
been built. The Su-27K is the Russian equivalent to the US Navy F-14
series, but also important as it was the prototype for design features
which migrated to a wide range of other Flanker variants and
derivatives.

The Su-27K had folding wings and stabilators,
strengthened
undercarriage with twin nosewheels, upgraded hydraulics, a tailhook,
enlarged flaperons, a modified ejection seat angle, folding outer wings
and stabs, upgraded FBW, modified LERX (Leading Edge Root Extensions)
with canards, enlarged leading edge slats and a deployable aerial
refuelling probe. The refuelling probe modification included a pair of
deployable floodlights in the nose, used to illuminate the tanker
aircraft, here intended to be either an Il-78 Midas or another Su-27
buddy tanker carrying a centreline UPAZ hose-drogue pod. The probe
permits a fuel transfer rate into the fighter of up to 4,000 lb/min.
Another notable Su-27K feature which migrated to later Flanker variants
was the right offset IR Search and Track housing, this improving the
pilot's downward view over the aircraft's nose. Production Su-27Ks
operated by the Russian Navy are often designated the Su-33. Perhaps
the most important feature of the Su-27K/Su-33 are the enlarged
LERX/canards which increase the available body lift of the aircraft,
and the centre of pressure forward thus enhancing achievable
pitch rates. The Su-27 series shares with the F-14 series a large body
lift capacity resulting from the wide fuselage tunnel - as a result the
aircraft's effective wing loading is much lower than that of aircraft
with different configurations. This is reflected in superb high alpha
handling and sustained turn rates. The enlarged LERX/canards migrated
to a range of other Flanker variants, including the Su-35, Su-37 and
production Su-30MKI.

Experience from initial Su-27K flight testing and trials
indicated that major issues would arise with training pilots for
carrier recoveries. Without the large range of aircraft types, and
specialised carrier trainers operated by the US Navy, the Soviet AV-MF
needed an aircraft which was identical in handling to the basic Su-27K
but dual seated, without the forward visibility impediments of the
existing tandem configuration Su-27UB.

Design of the dual navalised combat trainer derivative
began
in
1989, the aim being to produce an airframe suitable for a range of
other carrier based roles such as reconnaissance, aerial refuelling,
maritime strike and support jamming - niches in the US Navy now being
filled by F/A-18E/F derivatives.

The new Su-27KUB (Korabl'niy Uchebno-Boyeviy - Shipboard
Trainer-Combat) included a radically revised forward fuselage and a
range of incremental aerodynamic changes. The latter are cited as
enlargement of the canards, stabilisers, fins and rudders. The wing
fold position was moved further outboard.

The new side-by-side cockpit involved a major
resculpting of
the
forward fuselage, with crew access via a nosewheel well deployable
ladder. The crew sit on upward firing ejection seats under jettisonable
canopy panels. The circular cross section of the nose was retained, but
the baseline NIIP N-001 multimode radar was to be replaced by a
Phazotron Zhuk derivative. The OEPS/OLS-27 IRST housing was located on
the centreline of the cockpit.

The prototype Su-27KUB first flew in April 1999, but no
significant production orders have materialised due to the collapse of
Russian carrier aviation funding post 1991. Production aircraft,
designated as Su-33UB, would be
built by KNAAPO at Komsomolsk Na Amure.

A demonstration Su-33UB aircraft has been flown at a
Russian
airshow, equipped with thrust vectoring Saturn Al-31FU engines. A TVC
capability would be useful for ski jump launches, reduced approach and
trap speeds, and improved turning performance, compromised to some
extent by the heavier forward fuselage against baseline Flanker
variants.

The PLA-N was reported to have taken an interest in
the Su-27KUB, as it supplements the Su-33 which the PLA-N was to
acquire for its embryonic carrier fleet, being formed around the
former Russian Project
1143.5 carrier Varyag. Since then the PLA-N disclosed the existence of
the J-15 Flanker D, which is a Chinese reverse engineered Su-27K
airframe with Chinese systems migrated from the J-11B/BS Sino-Flanker.
It is claimed that the template for the J-15 was at least one derelict
Su-27K prototype procured in the Ukraine in 2001 and shipped to China
for reverse engineering.

Kh-41
Sunburn. China deploys the supersonic ramjet 3M-82 Moskit on
its Sovremmeniy DDGs, the air launched ASM-MSS/Kh-41 variant has been
integrated on the Su-30 series, via the Su-33. Below launch from Sovremmeniy DDG (Rosoboronexport).

Air launch canisters for the 3M14AE
land
attack (upper) and 3M54AE anti-shipping (lower) air launched variants.
The canister protects the ACLM during carriage
and is jettisoned after the missile deploys.

Digital
rendering of the air launched supersonic 3M-54AE being released from an
Su-33 Flanker D (Novator).

Digital rendering of the launch sequence
for the supersonic 3M-54AE
Sizzler. Rather than redesign the missile airframe to accommodate hard
points, Novator opted to use a canister not unlike the encapsulated sub
launch Harpoon arrangement. Once the canister is clear of the aircraft,
the nosecone is jettisoned, the missile ejected, upon which it deploys
its wings and tail controls, starts its turbojet engine, and cruises
until the target is acquired. Not depicted is the terminal stage of the
missile's flight, where the subsonic cruise airframe is jettisoned and
the supersonic rocket propelled kill stage engages the target at a
speed in excess of 2.5 Mach (Novator).

GNPP
KAB-500 and KAB-1500 guided bombs (Author)

An Su-27K
prototype performs a dry hookup during buddy refuelling trials using
the
UPAZ-1A Sakhalin series centreline refuelling store. Most late
build Flankers are equipped with a retractable aerial refuelling probe
and floodlights (RuAF photo).

The
Su-27K/Su-33 Flanker D was recently ordered by the PLA-N Air Arm to
equip the
Varyag air wing (RuN).

The Zhuk MSF/MSFE
(above) is a
passive ESA
design
intended to compete against the NIIP N011M BARS. It uses a Phazotron
unique radial distribution arrangement in the backplane waveguide feed,
and proprietary radiating element placement. The Zhuk MSFE has a .98
meter diameter aperture with 1662 radiating elements, and was developed
for the Su-30MK3 Flanker G
avionic suite intended for the PLA-AF. The
Zhuk-MSFE is being flown in an Su-33UB
demonstrator (MAKS 2005/2007).

Su-27KUB
Prototype (Sukhoi)

The
dual seat Su-27KUB/Su-33UB is a mulirole naval variant suitable for
carrier conversion training, but also a wide range of strike and air
defence roles. It retains the existing avionics of the Su-27K/Su-33
Flanker D (Sukhoi).